Fairy Tales
by chucknotsteve
Summary: Two men tell their children stories on their birthday. One shot.


Fairy Tales

Sometimes fairy tales aren't real...

Disclaimer: I don't only Star Wars.

---

_I had been warned that after children's birthday parties the child would always be hyper, mainly because of the excessive amounts of sugar given off at said party. But my daughter was no match--it had taken over a half an hour to get her into her sleeping gown and into her bed. Now, she demanded a story._

_This was normal. My daughter usually liked the scary stories--the ones about old women being haunted inside their newly bought but charmingly old houses. But tonight, I actually wanted her to go to sleep._

_"Now," I said roughly, almost holding down her shoulders, "No scary stories tonight, alright?"_

_She stopped squirming around and stared up at me with her mother's brown eyes. "Okay," she said sweetly, cushioning her head on the pillow._

_"Okay then," I said, taking a deep breath. "How about a romance story, then?"_

_She snickered--my daughter had never been one for romance. After seeing my look of disapproval, she smiled, "Fine."_

_"Well," I started, "Once upon a time..."_

In a far away place there was a small boy called Anakin Skywalker. He was nine years old, and he was, sadly, a slave. When a Queen's ship crash landed on his small, distant planet of Tatooine, he met a Jedi who would soon free him of his enslavement. Traveling with the Jedi was this young girl called Padmé. Instantly, the boy had a strong feeling that he and this Padmé would, in future years, get married.

But the boy's instinct was more than an instinct though, especially when the Jedi tested him. He was, in fact, destined to be a Jedi and serve the galaxy. Some people even called him the Chosen One, which was purely a myth in some peoples eyes. The Chosen One was sent to bring peace and balance to the Force and justice back to the galaxy.

For a nine year old boy, this was a lot of information.

Anakin was a pilot in his spare, secret time outside of his master's workshop. He built many things, including an incomplete but working protocol droid to help his mother. He also built his own, custom pod-racer, a big deal on his planet. People would bet on pod-races, while daring creatures raced in it.

The Jedi that was traveling with Padmé was called Qui-Gon Jinn, and he had a strong feeling about the boy, and when Anakin told him that he could win the pod race, he believed him. Anakin's master, Watto, bet Qui-Gon that Anakin could indeed win the pod race. The wager was Anakin's enslavement...

In a stunning move Anakin managed to win the pod race, much to Watta's unease. He lost Anakin as a slave, but didn't lose his mother. Master Jinn took Anakin back to the Jedi Temple, and he left his mom, who was still a slave.

_"No, Daddy!" She complained, and her hands formed angry fists. She pouted and tugged my sleeve, "Anakin couldn't have left his mother... he just couldn't have!!"_

_I shushed her, and quieted her down, pushing her against the pillow. "Shh," I told her, "Just wait."_

Master Jinn took Anakin to the Jedi Temple, where he trained to become a great Jedi Knight.

_"But I thought the Jedi were all gone, Daddy...?"_

_I frowned. "It's a fairy tale, darling."_

He parted from Padmé, and met his master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Together, they fought all around the galaxy, even helping Padmé's planet when it was in need. Anakin proved to be a even better pilot when he joined a battalion of pilots and helped destroy invaders of Padmé's lovely planet.

Over the next ten years or so, Anakin didn't see or hear from the woman who he had a strong feeling would be his wife. He grew older, wiser, and of course, more handsome, and suddenly, Anakin Skywalker wasn't much of a little boy anymore. Padmé had changed, as well, for she had become a prestigious Senator.

_"Like you, just like--"_

_"Yes, like me."_

When Padmé's life was in danger after several attacks on her life, Anakin and Master Kenobi were assigned to protect her, to guard her from the assassin. Kenobi worked on finding the assassin, while Anakin took Padmé back to her homeworld, where she would be safe from all evil.

You see, the Jedi have rules of attachment. They cannot love, they cannot love or devote their life to anything. Anakin never understood this rule completely, thinking that it people, creatures, deserved love in their life other than the government and protecting peace. When Anakin took Padmé back to her planet, they fell in love.

Their love was special, of course, because it was hidden. They couldn't come fourth for their marriage, for she was a high ranking Senator and he was an amazing Jedi Knight. They both thought very selflessly through their careers, but they eventually became selfish and gave into their love for each other.

Secretly, while Padmé's life was still in danger, they both married at sunset, the only witnesses being Padmé's small astromech droid and Anakin's self made protocol droid. They said their vows, sealing their love with the first kiss of husband and wife.

The days went by and war broke out in the galaxy. Anakin was needed in the warfront and could see Padmé for only hours throughout months. Since he was enlisted and a full on Commander for the clones, he was gone for many months on end.

At a time, three years into hiding their secret devotion, their hidden love, Padmé became pregnant. Anakin was going to be a father, and her a mother. The couple were very excited for their news, calling it the happiest moment of their lives, for it truly was, but deep down, both were scared. Not only for the fear of being a parent, but the fear of being discovered. When their baby was born, concealing a child would be harder than concealing a marriage.

_I looked over at my daughter, the thoughts of Padmé Amidala swimming in my head, and I had forgotten to finish the story, for her eyes were sealed shut, deep in a happy dream. For some reason I felt relief; relief that I didn't have to finish the story of Padmé and Anakin, my mutual friends, because their ending was, of course, tragic. "Good thing I didn't have to tell you the scary part of the story, Leia," I told her, kissing her cheek good-night. The light flickered off, and I said, "Maybe another birthday."_

---

_It was my nephew's birthday, or supposed birthday, I guess. That Jedi kook didn't exactly tell us everything about him when he brought the orphan here to be raised. He stabs his fork into the cake that my wife so kindly baked him, and he forced the rather large piece of vanilla cake into his mouth. After swallowing, he proudly gives me a toothy smile; I did the same. Fifth birthdays could do this to you._

_The then jumped off the chair impressively, and then ran into the rotunda, "flying" his model starfighter that I had given him for his birthday. He always had a certain fascination with planes and ships, but I guess that was likely for a five year old boy. I decide to go over and join him, sitting next to him when he finally plants himself down in a sandy patch of our homestead. _

_"You know," I tell him, thinking I am being mindful, "Your father was a pilot."_

_His big blue eyes light up, and he gives me that happy smile again. There is something about parents, or in my case, aunts and uncles, cheering up a child, if theirs. I love the feeling, and I just want him to be happy all the time. _

_"Really?"_

_I don't think he believed me at first. "Yes, of course," I said nonchalantly, "One of the best on Tatooine." And everywhere._

_"Wow, that is so cool, Uncle," he tells me, and then he says, "Can you tell me about him?"_

_I think about this for a moment, wondering if it is such a good idea. I decide to go for it, and I will tell him what I know. "Alright."_

Anakin was someone with an amazing sense of adventure and bravery. Ever since he was young, he built ships and droids whatnot. Much to his mother's appraisable, of course. He won Tatooine's Bounta Eve Pod Race when he was just nine, and became the first human to win the race, even make it past the second lap. His speed was amazing, and he had a special gift that no one could identify except a few.

_I was hoping he wouldn't catch the last bit, and he didn't since he shrieked, "Wow, my father won the Bounta race?!"_

He fell in love with a beautiful young woman called Padmé, and even though she was five years old than him, he knew that they were destined for each other. Anakin continued to race, and to show off other moves, building things and, of course, racing, to impress Padmé. He loved Padmé very much, and when he turned twenty years old, they married on her home planet.

_"Was Padmé my mother?" He asked._

_I nodded. "Yes," I told him, "I only met her once or twice, but she would have loved you very much, and I'm sure she still does."_

_He smiled, and blushed, but his eyes averted to the blue starfighter in his hands. His tiny fingers brushed over the chrome paint job on the exterior of the model and he said, "What kind of ship did my father have?"_

_I frowned. I actually didn't know. "Probably one just like that," I told him, making him smile. "But of course he had his winning pod racer!"_

_He smiled proudly, happy to be the son of such a memorable man. He was thinking, I could tell... I was afraid of what would come next when a small frown escaped from his facial expression. "Uncle," he said, his big, blue eyes staring up at me, "Where are they now?" The boy's five year old naivity made me sad all together, because I knew someday I would have to tell him. _

_"Maybe another time, Luke."_

_----_


End file.
